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This Veteran’s Day Hoosier Park Racing & Casino will be doing more than ever to pay tribute to our U.S. armed forces. With many employees and friends of the company having served in the military, Hoosier Park plans to give back throughout the holiday weekend. A proud supporter of Indiana veterans and national soldiers alike, Hoosier Park will be offering discounts, free food opportunities and a very special all-day trip to the Veteran’s Day Memorial Service and Parade in Downtown Indianapolis.

With a military ID, our esteemed veterans can enjoy $5 in free slot play deposited on their Club Centaur account as well as 25% off at the Big Deli and Prime Harvest Buffet all holiday weekend. Then on Sunday, November 11th, a complimentary breakfast will be offered in the Big Deli from 7 to 10 am. Hoosier Park will then host a special Veterans Day Tribute on the casino floor at 11 am following breakfast.
The annual Veteran’s Day Memorial Service and Parade in Downtown Indianapolis is on Saturday, November 10th. The event begins at 10:30 am on the north steps of the Indiana War Memorial with a Musical Prelude by the 38th Division Band of the Indiana National Guard. This display of patriotism will include music from World War I, II, and the Korean War eras. To conclude the Memorial Service, the Indiana Air National Guard will perform a fly-over display just above the Indiana War Memorial. At 11:45 am, the Veteran’s Day Memorial Parade will commence. More than 80 military units will parade through Downtown Indianapolis from Michigan and Pennsylvania Streets to Meridian and North Streets. This Veteran’s Day event is sure to be one to remember and Hoosier Park aims to make sure no soldier misses the day’s great events.

At 8:30 am Saturday, a bus will be stationed outside of the casino to provide roundtrip transportation for those wishing to enjoy the service. With a military ID, Hoosier Park will provide the transportation and a free box lunch for each veteran and their guest. After the conclusion of the parade, the bus will be waiting to return the group back to Hoosier Park Racing & Casino in Anderson. There is no purchase necessary and there are no costs associated with this half-day event. Pay respects to our fallen soldiers and give thanks to our enlisted with this all-inclusive trip to the Veteran’s Day memorial Service and Parade this November.

On July 29th, our Indy Boys in Blue descended on Anderson University’s campus. Along with the one hundred man roster, coaches, staff and trainers took up temporary residency here in Anderson. With the many companies in the area showing their support, there was a sense of excitement in the air as you drove down Scatterfield to the playing field. This is the third year Hoosier Park has participated in the camp festivities and were even selected as an Official Super Celebration Site for last year’s Big Game in February. Hoosier Park’s support of Indianapolis football is now in full swing. For this year’s camp, Hoosier Park welcomed Big Blue fans with “Fan Appreciation Days.” During camp, guests of the park enjoyed special deals on food and beverages ranging from yard long beers to half-priced buffets as well as a koozie giveaway. The camp celebration culminated with a premium season ticket giveaway on Friday, August 17th. Charles Agnew of Anderson took home the coveted prize. At Hoosier Park, we are proud supporters of our Boys in Blue and wish them “Luck” this season.

Those at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino have always considered themselves the best of a variety of things and Madison County residents agreed, voting it the best buffet, live music venue and place for entertainment.

“We look at Hoosier Park as having many facets for entertainment,” said Grant D. Scharton, Hoosier Park’s director of public relations. “Of course there is the casino, but there is also the great racing product, a variety of dining options and then the concerts. It is centrally located and offers a wide variety of entertainment options — multiple ways to win big, socialize with friends and have a thrilling night out. There are entertainment options for everybody.”

Scharton said that variety is why he thinks Hoosier Park was chosen for the third year in a row for the best place for entertainment in the awards.

Hoosier Park consistently brings in some of the greatest names in entertainment, he said, for both the summer music track concert series and the concerts in the Terrace Showroom including upcoming Air Supply and Wilson Phillips, Scharton said. He said information about the upcoming summer concert series will be available in the next month on the website at www.hoosierpark.com.

During last year’s summer series, more than 30,000 people came to Hoosier Park for the shows and the facility received more than 3.5 million visits.

The Prime Harvest Buffet stands out because of not only the quality product offered but also the friendly service of the staff.

Rudy McMillan, director of food and beverage at Hoosier Park, said the quality of the product has remained high and prices low. The seafood nights — Friday and Saturday — and Sunday brunch offer a variety of different items including crab, prime rib, fresh sushi and a chocolate fountain.

“You could have all the quality food in the world, but if you don’t have the great quality staff you can’t go any further,” he said.

Scharton said the combination of good quality food and a great team makes the buffet a star.

With more than 300,000 visitors to the buffet in 2011, assistant director of food and beverage Amy Whitler said a “great, smiling team” is key.

In addition to the $5.95 lunch buffet offered, Hoosier Park offered its club members 55 and over a 55-cent buffet and had 1,650 take advantage of that special offer, Scharton said.

Two Indiana Bred Quarter Horses have been nominated for American Quarter Horse Racing Association National honors. A Bitter Sweet Song and Lovemelikethat have both been nominated as the 2011 Three Year Old Filly Racing Champion of the Year. They join four additional horses on the ballot for this honor.

Bitter Sweet Song (Agouti – Whatasweetsong, by Shawne Bug), owned by Debbie Smith and Randy Haffner, accumulated $108,539 in earnings during 2011. The Haffner trained filly completed the racing year with eight starts that included four wins, one second and one third place finish. Her wins include the $100,000 Indiana Blue River Derby at Indiana Downs.

Lovemelikethat (Likenothinyoueversaw – First Smart Stride, by First Smart Money), owned by Cooter Daniel boasted $148,636 in earnings in 2011 resulting in career earnings of $236,280. The filly, trained by John McCreary, won not only the $100,000 Sterlie Bertram Memorial, but also QHRAI Derby at Hoosier Park completing the racing year with seven starts that included five wins and two thirds. Lovemelikethat was also recently recognized as the Quarter Horse Breed Development Three Year Old Filly Champion and Horse of the Year.

“These two horses are not only an extraordinary example of the quality of horses being produced, but also a great achievement for the Quarter Horse Breed Development Program in Indiana,” noted Jessica Barnes, Director of Racing and Breed Development for the Indiana Horse Racing Commission.

Tourism has become big business in Madison County and Hoosier Park Racing & Casino is the star attraction.

That’s the conclusion of a recent report from the Anderson/Madison County Visitors & Convention Bureau, which looked at the economic impact of the tourism and travel industry here in 2008 and 2010.

Among the report’s key findings were that:

Tourism and travel contributed nearly $506 million to the local economy in 2010.
A total of 3,821 jobs exist here because of the industry.
Nearly one-third of them are high-wage earners, professionals, technicians, managers, sales and construction jobs.
Tourism-generated jobs provided more than $68.6 million in wages to Madison County workers in 2010, compared to $62.9 million in 2008.
More than 3.9 million people made Madison County a tourism destination in 2010, compared to 2.2 million in 2008, the year when the casino opened.
Tourism generated $22.9 million in revenue for county and municipal governments in 2010, compared to $14.8 million in 2008.
The report, prepared by Certec Inc., a market research company based in Versailles, Ky., concluded that “tourism impacts all sectors of the local economy.”

“The takeaway is that there has been an accelerated rate of change in tourism and its impact on economic development,” and George Vinson, incoming president of the visitors bureau board of directors.

Ralph Day, executive director of the visitors bureau, said the 2008 and 2010 study years were chosen specifically to look at the impact a casino would have at Hoosier Park.

“It has really made Anderson a destination,” Day said.

And Hoosier Park has been a terrific corporate citizen, he added.

Since the casino opened in June 2008, the complex has averaged 3.5 million visitors a year, said Grant D. Scharton, Hoosier Park’s director of public relations He also noted that the Indianapolis Business Journal has named it the Indianapolis area’s most popular tourist attraction.

“Hoosier Park Racing and Casino is very pleased with the response in the central Indiana region and the tourists who come and visit the casino,” he said.

Tourism and community amenities such as Hoosier Park are an essential component of economic development efforts, said Rob Sparks, executive director of the Corporation for Economic Development.

“I think that tourism is a really important part of branding our community,” he said.

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Watch for a cyclone of dust and drive found only on Hoosier Park’s oval of speed!

Once again the Fab Five Standardbred Drivers return to Hoosier Park for an unforgettable Standardbred meet. This year will be a tough one for the celebrity drivers as Peter The Wolf Wrenn returns the reigning champion and three new challengers enter the fight.

Trent Stohler, aka The Bachelor, will catch your eye at first glance. Blessed with good looks and style, Stohler is sought after both on and off the track. Brandon Big Ticket Bates earned his title because he’s never afraid to take on a long shot or a hard-to-handle horse and drive it to the wire. Most of Brandon’s winners pay double digits. Outlaw Josh Sutton brings passion and intensity to the sport of Standardbred racing. Josh was on a winning streak in 2006 before he headed West. He returns to Hoosier Park determined and ready to reclaim his territory.

Check back throughout the season for special guest updates from drivers and the latest information on the 2011 Hoosier Park Racing & Casino Standardbred Season!

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